Why Not Now?
by ShouldIGetOutandPush
Summary: A multi-chapter Han/Leia story about marriage proposals and, hopefully, an engagement. In an attempt to erase COPL from my memory, I have started my own version of what would have happened when the Hapans showed up... *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

*Caution* This chapter contains sexual content.

The moment the _Falcon_ touched down on Coruscant, Han Solo shot out of the pilot's seat and yelled back to his co-pilot, "Shut 'er down, Chewie. I'll be back later."

[Why don't you just bend me over next time?] Chewie growled.

"You're just jealous!" Han shouted back with a smirk as he lowered the ramp and bounded down to the ground below.

_Three months?_ Han asked himself incredulously. Had it really been three months since he had seen Leia? It felt like an eternity. He felt as if he would burst right there on the spot just thinking about how long it had been. Since he had held her. Kissed her. Been with her. His pace quickened as his mind raced. _She should be home from the office by now_. She wasn't expecting him. Not due home until tomorrow, he and Chewie had done some creative maneuvering both on the ground and in the sky to get back early. To get back to her.

He palmed their apartment door open to be greeted by C-3PO. _Talk about kill a mood_. "What's up, Golden Rod?" Listening to Threepio's gears spin trying to formulate a response to his casual greeting, Han didn't wait for a reply, "Where's Leia?"

Grasping the second question easier than the first, the droid responded, "Mistress Leia is joining his Royal Highness Prince Isolder for dinner at The View."

_His Royal Highness Prince Isolder. Dinner at The View?_ The View was the classiest restaurant on Coruscant, high-priced, hard to get into and considered to be very romantic. Han was not fazed. Leia often had to entertain politicians after-hours; this only meant that he would have to _wait_. Han's mind registered his decision between taking a long hot shower and having a conversation with Threepio faster than the _Falcon_ could make the Kessel Run.

Washing the lingering smells of sweat, space and the _Falcon_ from his body, he let his mind wander to her. It had been almost four years since Endor, four years since everything had finally clicked into place for them. She worked on rebuilding the New Republic, he and Chewie ran missions for the NRI in between escorting Leia on diplomatic summits. They were hardly ever separated for more than a couple of weeks at a time, until this recent mission. He remembered the taste of her lips as he kissed her goodbye on the hangar floor, in front of everyone. His body aching at the memory, he could still see her blush…

Lingering in their bedroom in an attempt to avoid Threepio, Han was startled when the annoying droid entered and began to talk, "Excuse me, General Solo, may I serve you dinner? Since Mistress Leia is enjoying dinner at The View with His Royal-"

"Yes. Dinner would be great, Threepio." Han responded curtly. _You know the routine, Golden Rod. I'm home, time for you to leave_.

While Threepio thankfully disappeared into the kitchen, Han followed him out of the bedroom, plopped himself on the sofa and turned on the HoloNews. Skipping through stations looking for the smashball game, his mind barely registered their apartment door sliding open. He snapped to attention at the sound of voices while he stood up and looked towards the front door.

"Oh, Han!" Leia screeched excitedly before remembering they weren't alone. She calmed herself and continued, "I didn't know you were back, General Solo."

"Just got planet side a time part ago." Wanting to brag about his successful mission and just how fast the _Falcon_ had made it back to her, _for her_, but also realizing they were not alone, he finished up with, "we made it back earlier than expected." _Gods, how does she look more beautiful every time I see her?_

Leia turned to the gentleman in the hallway and said, "I'm sorry, Prince Isolder, may I introduce you to General Han Solo."

Was there a pause or a hitch in her voice after his name? Han couldn't say for sure, but there was one in his mind. _General Solo, my…what am I exactly? Boyfriend sounds so juvenile. Lover, so…well, _appropriate,_ but wrong. Soul Mate, so right but so…trite_. Han scoffed at himself for letting his mind wander down this train of thought. It didn't matter what you called it, she was his and he was hers.

"It is an honor to meet such a hero of the New Republic, General Solo." The Prince replied smoothly.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Prince Isolder, but I don't consider myself a hero, thanks." Han replied. The first part was for Leia just like she made him rehearse it. The second part was for him, because…well, because he just couldn't help himself. _And she knows that_.

Leia turned to the Prince and extended her hand to him as she said, "Thank you so much for dinner, Prince Isolder, and for escorting me safely to my residence. I look forward to our continued negotiations tomorrow."

"The pleasure was all mine, Princess Leia, and I look forward to tomorrow as well." The Prince raised the proffered hand and briefly closed his eyes as his lips touched her skin. He stood up, turned his attention to Han and said, "General Solo, until we meet again."

Watching the exchange between Leia and the prince, Han snickered to himself, _enjoy _that_ while you can because I'm going to be doing things to her that are considered illegal on some planets as soon as you get your ass outta here._ "Prince Isolder." Han nodded and watched the Prince turn and retreat down the hallway.

As soon as the door slid shut Han was assaulted by one very small princess who could pack one helluva of a punch when she wanted to. But this was the kind of assaulting that Han could handle. In fact, Han had been dreaming about this for three long months. Before he knew what was happening his blaster was dropping to the floor. Lips were on his mouth, hands were pulling at his shirt. "I've missed you," was being whispered breathlessly in his ear.

_Why and how do I ever leave the house? _ "I couldn't tell." He chuckled back at her, his hands starting to join in the race and catch up to her tempo. He slid his arms around to her bare back, his hands gliding up onto her shoulder blades and pushing the material down until it fell, resting in the crook of her elbows. He had to follow her mouth down as she dropped a full three inches when she slipped out of her heels. As he heard his belt buckle clinking open the sound of Threepio entering the room reminded him why he hated that droid so much.

"Your dinner is ready Gen- Oh! Princess Leia, you have returned!" Threepio chattered excitedly, oblivious to the scene he just walked in on.

_I could use him as spare parts for the Falcon, I just know I could_. Han watched as Leia blushed and pulled her dress back up onto her shoulders. Grabbing her hand, he began pulling her towards their bedroom as he barked at a confused Threepio, "Keep it warm, Threepio, and don't disturb us."

"Han!" Leia chastised him as their bedroom door slid closed, leaving the droid behind it.

"What? He's a _droid_ for krith's sake!" He was all over her, this time leaving her to catch up. "He probably thinks we're…_plugging in_."

Han heard Leia giggle and thought how much he loved that sound. Not many people got to hear Her Royal Highness giggle and he thanked the stars that he was one of them.

"You like that, huh? Well, I hope you were missing more than my sense of humor, sweetheart."

Quickly resuming where they had left off in the living room, Han had her dress pooled down at her feet before she could answer. He stepped back to look at her, the matching silk bra and panties leaving little to his imagination. Raising his eyes to meet hers he found her studying him like he was a wild animal and she wasn't sure what he would do next.

Her mouth dropped open just slightly in anticipation or to say something, he couldn't tell for sure. Not able to control himself he closed the distance between them, seizing the moment to join their lips together. Thrusting his tongue in her mouth with an intensity he was pleasantly surprised to find that she was primed to match.

As their lips separated, she began unbuttoning his shirt as she replied, "You're not _that_ funny, Solo."

Pushing his shirt off of his arms her lips attacked his mouth, his neck and his chest while her hands worked on the clasp of his pants. He concentrated on removing her bra as he smiled and said, "I think I can have you rolling around and screaming my name before this is -"

She stilled her hands and looked up at him while she allowed her bra to slip off her arms and fall to the floor. He lost his ability to speak as his eyes were unable to abandon the magnificent view just unveiled to them. Leia laughed at him as she tugged at his chin, forcing him to look at her as she responded, "Give it your best shot, flyboy."

His face grew serious at her challenge as he rewarded her with his best lop-sided grin. _Whatever you say, your highness_. He grabbed her at the hips slipped her panties down her legs and then hoisted her body up to his. As she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, she laughed again while he walked them towards their bed.

"You should know I specialize in naughty princesses." He teased as he tossed her lightly on the bed.

He began to relieve himself of the rest of his clothing while she watched him and said, "I love it when you call me naughty."

Han looked down into her deep brown eyes and grinned wildly, he let his eyes roam down over her body, from her breasts, to her flat belly and lower. Remembering what every part of that body was capable of doing to his. As he slowly raised his gaze to meet hers, he was pleasantly surprised to find her eyes shamelessly raking over his body, pushing him to action.

He took two steps towards the bed to occupy the space between her legs, grinning as she separated them and made room for him in between.

"Tell me what else you love." He said as he climbed on the bed to hover over her, placing his face above hers.

"I love _you_." She was serious now, her hands landed on either side of his face as her eyes darted back and forth between his, searching to find the reaction she desired.

He lowered himself to her and kissed her gently, first with closed lips and then slowly teasing her tongue with his in a sensual, rhythmic dance. He purposefully and skillfully slowed down the movements between them, silently signaling her that he wanted nothing more than to kiss her this way forever. Rolling to his side he pulled her with him, maneuvering her to take his place on top. Finally breaking his spell-binding kiss, she raised her head to look at him as he smiled at her and said, "I love you, too, baby."

Unable to resist each other any longer, Han flipped her on her back once again as he kissed and caressed his way down her body, easing her legs apart he lowered himself to her quickly finding her center. Reading her reactions and working her controls more adeptly than the _Falcon's,_ he used his lips, tongue and fingers to drive her to the edge with expert ease. As her moans grew louder and she began to scream his name, he couldn't help but pause for a minute, look up at her and smile as he said, "I told you so."

Wedging her knees under his arms she nudged him up towards her. Grabbing his face as soon as it was in reach, as she shot back, "The size of your ego never ceases to amaze me."

"I have something else that might just amaze you…" Gently guiding himself into her, he relished the familiarly of it all. The feel of her surrounding him, the expression on her face as he completed her and the unique scent they created as their bodies mixed and melded together was enough to drive him to the edge.

He started with a long, slow stroke that he knew pleasured her and watched as she quickly transformed into the wanton, exquisite creature that only he had the pleasure to know. Her face and chest were flushed with excitement as she drew his face to hers and kissed him with abandonment. Her hands, unable to remain idle, worked over his body as if she were trying to mark every centim of him with her touch.

As her hips began to writhe and buck underneath him he took the signal and increased his pace, shortening his stroke. Breaking their kiss she turned her head away from his and pulled him to her, her hands now buried in the long pieces of hair curled with sweat at the nape of his neck.

Burying his face into the crook of her neck, he heard her call his name again while her body tightened around him. Her arms squeezing him and her legs wrapping around his waist, wrenching his body as close to hers as humanly possible. Unable to delay it any longer, he called her name as he let her push him over the edge that he had been so delicately riding. Shutting his eyes at the sheer pleasure she had driven him to, his arms wobbled as his body collapsed on top of her.

As he rolled to the side he slid out of her, soliciting a tiny gasp from Leia. Not sure if it was that sensation or the chill of the cool air nipping at their exposed bodies, Han turned back to her and asked, "Are you OK?"

She looked up at him and placed a hand upon the side of his face as she smiled and said, "I'm perfect."

He rolled onto his back, relaxing his head down onto the bed as he sighed and said, "I know that, but you didn't answer my question."

"There's my comedian." She said as she propped up to kiss him on the lips and added, "I'm going to visit the 'fresher, I want _you_ under the covers when I get back."

She turned her body and began to push herself off of the bed when he grabbed her arm and said, "You can have me on top of the covers, under the covers or without the covers, your highness." He smiled at her and gave her a quick wink.

"And you think I won't?" She grinned at him and leaned down to kiss him quickly on the mouth. Scooting off of the bed she tapped him on the side of his thigh as she said, "I mean it, get under the covers."

He watched her walk to the 'fresher and tried to remember what his life was like before this tiny ball of fire entered it. Her ability to generate an overwhelming feeling of awe and astonishment at the fact that he was lucky enough to find her and be loved by her never failed to surprise him. He still felt like that cocky pilot, teasing Luke in the cockpit of the _Falcon_, just knowing that any chance with her was one in a million. _That_ never ceased to amaze him, that _he_ was the one out of the million. _I still don't know what I did to deserve her_.

Leia returned from the 'fresher and joined him under the covers. Their naked bodies held each other, sweaty and exhausted. Han lay on his back with Leia nuzzled up next to him, lying on her side with her head in the crook of his shoulder and her hand resting lazily on his bare chest. She played with his chest hair and drew circles around his nipples, causing him to jump and grab her hand in his. He drew her hand to his mouth and kissed her open palm and as he released it he said, "I love you."

She stretched up to kiss his cheek as she responded, "I love you, too." As she settled her head back down on his shoulder she asked, "How'd the mission go?"

Han let out a breath and said, "Fine. It took half our time getting through the bureaucratic bullshit on Sullust before we finally got the info we needed from the contact, picked up the shipment and high-tailed it to the shipyards on Mon Calamari."

"But you made it back _early_?" It was a statement, but she said it like a question.

"I was…_motivated_. And it was nothing we ain't done before." He answered casually. _Of course the Falcon wasn't a registered antique last time we tried that little maneuver_…

"Ha-an?" She stretched out his name in an accusatory fashion.

"Hey, I didn't hear you complaining a couple of minutes ago." He said with a squeeze.

"Yes, well, I would rather you back late and safe then early and dead. How many times do I have to tell you that?" She returned his squeeze.

"As long as I keep rushing back to you, I guess." _Let's just call that forever_.

There was a long silence between them, until Leia broke it with, "Han?"

"Um-hum?" Han's eyes were closed; he was thoroughly relaxed and satiated.

"Sweetheart?" Her squeeze was more intense and her tone was serious.

"I'm listening." He kept his eyes closed but replied intently. _I hope she's not ready already, because I haven't pulled that kind of maneuver since _I've_ been registered as an antique_…

"There's something I need to tell you, but…" she stopped.

Han peeked one eye open to look down at the top of her head and said, "That good, huh? Spit it out, where're we goin' this time?" He was thinking she had another diplomatic mission for him to ferry her around on and that _that_ wasn't such a bad thing. _At least we'll be together_.

"No, it's nothing like that. It's something that came up today during the negotiations with the Hapes Consortium." Her body tensed a little in his arms, piquing his interest and clearing the cobwebs from his brain.

He pushed his body back in the bed so he was sitting up, his back against the head board. Leia moved with him, pushing herself up on straightened arms, allowing her face to meet his and separating their bodies. Han watched as her breasts hung and swung in front of him and he almost didn't hear what she was saying, "…and then the Queen Mother suggested a marriage between the two Royal Houses."

Han's eyes left her breasts and met her eyes at the mention of "marriage" and "Royal Houses", his smirk evaporating. "And? What's that's supposed to mean?"

She scooted up on the bed and lowered her head back onto his shoulder and sighed as she said, "It means that she wants her son to marry someone from the New Republic that is _also_ a member of a Royal House…as part of the deal."

"Li-ike, maybe you?" Han brought his hand around her head and grasped her chin, encouraging her to look at him.

She cocked her head to him and met his eyes as she said firmly, "You know that's not an option."

"For you or for the New Republic?"

"For _me_ and that's all that matters."

"I thinks that's a little naïve of you, sweetheart."

"I'm not blind to the fact that several members of the High Council would love to see me married off to one of the Royal Houses, for the betterment of the New Republic or not. We've _talked_ about that before, Han. This shouldn't be a surprise to either of us."

"Yeah, well talking about it and it happening are two very different things." _And I just let that slimeball kiss her hand right in front of me. Idiot._

"Not for _me_, I told you that didn't matter to me. _This_ doesn't change what I said." Her tone was slightly defensive.

"Alright, we'll see." He pulled her to him to let her head rest on his shoulder again but she resisted.

"Han."

"I'm not saying _you_ are going to be the issue, sweetheart. I'm saying everyone else will be." _Me against the galaxy again, great_.

She let her mouth close on the words that were waiting there. He pulled her down to him and this time she complied.

_His Royal Highness Prince Isolder. Dinner at The View?_ "You went to dinner with him tonight…?" He didn't say it, but the word "alone" hung in the air between them unsaid but clearly heard.

"We were already slated as the primary negotiators of the contract before his mother brought up the _marriage_. Isolder was as shocked and embarrassed as I was."

_Isolder?_ Han's mind was working overtime, but he worked fiercely to keep his cool. "I'm sure he was." _It looked like I could take him. Definitely me and Chewie could take him_.

"Ha-an."

"I'm just sayin', you don't think they talked about it before they arrived here?"

"He said they didn't and I believe him."

"Alright. So, how many more dinners are we talking about here?"

She raised herself back up again to see his face, "Now that you're here, I expect you would _accompany_ me to any more dinners that I'm invited to." She looked at him and as a smile stretched across her face she said, "I can't believe it, you're jealous!"

_I'll show you jealous_. He pulled her to him brusquely, their faces close, nose to nose, his hazel eyes penetrating her brown ones and his lips brushing hers as he spoke, "Not jealous…just _realistic_." He closed the distance between them with a kiss. It was a soft gentle kiss, in perfect contradiction to his firm embrace. Their eyes were locked on each other, a silent truce exchanging between them, closing the discussion - for now. It was Leia who shut her eyes first as she ramped up the heat of their kiss and Han followed quickly behind her. _What the hell, I've beaten the galaxy before_…

"What did you say about wanting me under the covers?" Han joked as he broke their kiss. Leia giggled as he rolled on top of her…


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning, Han and Leia left their apartment headed in different directions. Leia rushed off to an early meeting at her office while Han took off towards the hangar where the _Falcon_ was docked to meet up with Chewie and attend the required debriefing from their mission.

As Han approached the _Falcon,_ he saw Chewie standing in front of the boarding platform surrounded by a group of men, most of whom Han recognized as Rogue Squadron pilots. As Han neared the ship he noticed Chewie growl something and tip his head. As he got closer half the pilots turned to look at Han as the entire group quickly dispersed. _Real smooth, Chewie_.

"What's goin' on?" Han addressed Chewie as he reached the ship.

[I hear congratulations are in order.] Chewie snarled facetiously and Han couldn't help but notice that his partner's manner was aggravated at best.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Han's own demeanor almost involuntarily matched that of his friend. _Good news sure travels fast around here_.

[I think you know what it means.]

Han recognized immediately that Chewie was genuinely angry and he didn't have to wonder what had set him off. The Wookiee took his life debt way too seriously, often to the point of defending Han's _honor_ as much as his life. "If this is about Leia, I really don't want to discuss it," Han snapped as he started up the ramp to board the _Falcon_, using his best "drop it" tone.

[Well, if Malla was thinking of marrying another Wookiee, I wouldn't want to discuss it either, but I think you would make me.] Chewie followed Han up the ramp, his voice rising and determination growing.

Han spun around on the ramp, surprising his Wookiee friend by his sudden movement and pointing a finger at his face. He tried to calm down as he replied through clenched teeth, "She is _not_ thinking of marrying anyone else." _Kreth! I can't believe I'm having this conversation_.

[But she does not _think_ of marrying you either.] Chewie spat back. Han thought he could see a flash of shock and regret cross the Wookiee's face, as if he did not intend to say the words out loud.

"Drop it, Chewie, I mean it." Those words had hit too close to home for Han and he had to turn and walk away as he added, "What do you know about it, anyway?"

[I know it is all over the hangar. She is contemplating a proposal of marriage.] Chewie's voice was noticeably cooler, almost to the point of a soothing tone you would use with a child.

"Since when do you listen to pilot gossip? You know the squadron's worse than a bunch of women." Han was digging through the ship's computer panel near the navigation console. _Contemplating marriage, my ass. Where the fuck are those datacards?_

[Since it is also on the holonews and holorags.] Chewie stood watching Han empty drawers and fling things around.

"Yeah, and since when do you pay attention to _that_?"

[Since it involves you.]

"It almost always _involves_ me." Han slammed a now empty drawer and crossed the lounge to the bins next to the holotable.

[Not in this way.]

Han poured the contents of an entire bin on the holotable as he cursed, "Godsdammit, Chewie, where's the krethin' data cards from the Sullust mission?"

As if admitting he would get nowhere else with the conversation, Chewie held out his paw and revealed the data cards in his outstretched palm.

"Why didn't you tell me you had them for krith's sake? You saw me tearing the godsdamn ship apart!" Han snatched the cards out of Chewie's hand and stormed passed him in the direction of the boarding ramp.

[You didn't tell me what you were looking for.] Chewie replied smartly as he turned to follow his friend off of the ship.

When Han and Chewie arrived at the New Republic Intelligence office they were escorted to a common area to await their meeting time. It consisted of no more than four walls, some chairs and a door. The room was fairly crowded with other beings and Han and Chewie took the only two empty chairs that were next to each other. Mounted on the upper four corners of the room were holoscreens and they were all tuned to the same news channel. The volume was such that if you wanted to listen you could but you had to work at it.

No one in the room had taken particular notice of Han and Chewie when they had entered and Han kept his eyes straight ahead as he and his co-pilot sat and waited. Han did not want to engage in conversation with Chewie at that point. He knew what a one-track mind the Wookiee had and he had no inclination to continue their previous discussion.

Eventually, out of sheer boredom, Han began to watch and listen to the holonews. When the Galactic News Network reporter brought up a picture of Leia and Isolder and began to talk about the Hapan consortium negotiations, Han could feel the tension in the room rise like flood waters as all eyes bounced back and forth between the holoscreen and the famous general. Not wanting to watch, but not wanting to meet the eyes of those in the room, Han felt he could not look away.

The picture they were using of Leia had to be from her dinner with the Prince at The View. Han recognized the dress she was wearing and the décor of the famous restaurant. At first the news reporter spoke about the Hapes Cluster and its significance to the New Republic before cutting to a live clip of the initial negotiations. The camera was set back and Han recognized that they were in the Senate Hall. The camera was focused on Mon Mothma and another woman whom, by the context of the story, it quickly became apparent was Hapes Queen Mother.

Han's eyes continued to roam the background of faces until he found Leia, sitting in the second row watching the proceedings. The Queen Mother was negotiating the demands and concessions for the proposed treaty between the Hapes Cluster and the New Republic, but in accordance with Hapan tradition they were all offered as "gifts" to Mon Mothma and the New Republic in an elaborate ceremonial display. A small replica of the Hapes war fleet was artfully presented out of carved crystals, a large glass curio housing the various exports the Hapans produced and so on. There was a dramatic pause as the Queen Mother announced that she would present her last "gift". Han watched as Prince Isolder strode into the Senate Hall with an air of confidence and superiority. _Yeah, he had no idea, my ass_.

As the Queen Mother explained her last "gift" to Mon Mothma, Han watched as all eyes on the Senate Hall turned to Leia. After a short discussion, Mon Mothma addressed Leia and Leia rose and came forward. The Queen Mother asked Leia a couple of questions: her name, her position in the New Republic and lastly, if she was indeed a member of one of the Royal Houses. When Leia answered all of the Queen Mother's questions to her satisfaction, the Queen Mother smiled at Leia and said, "The Hapans have much to contribute to the New Republic and we request what must be considered a small concession in return. The Royal Houses must be joined. My last gift is to be given to you, Princess Leia of Alderaan. Please accept my son, Prince Isolder as your husband and the covenant between our governments will be fulfilled."

Han saw the ripple of shock cross Leia's face and continue on through Mon Mothma and the rest of the entire Senate Hall assembly. Leia found her voice quickly and Han watched as she responded, "The New Republic is truly honored by your presence here, Queen Mother, and we are humbled by the magnitude and significance of _all_ of the gifts that you have presented here today. I cannot speak for the New Republic, therefore-"

The Queen Mother broke in on Leia as her voice rose slightly, "I am not asking for you to speak for the New Republic. The New Republic would be fools if they did not accept our offerings. I am asking for you to speak on that which the New Republic cannot, unless you are telling me that they can speak for you on this matter?"

Leia's posture stiffened and Han noticed that she glanced at Mon Mothma before she replied, "No, Queen Mother, the New Republic would not speak on my behalf on that matter. My only answer at this time is that I will consider your request, just as the New Republic will consider your other gifts."

Han turned his head away from the holoscreen, unable to watch anymore. He could feel his heart rate increase as the anger welled up inside of his chest. He knew Leia had answered in a polite and political manner. He knew she _had_ to answer that way. He also knew he should not let it upset him. But it did.

When Han had asked Leia to marry him back on Endor she had told him, "No". No polite, "Let me think about it", but, "No_"_. He could still hear her saying that simple two letter word in his mind.

Now to be fair, she had promised that she wanted to be with him forever and that she definitely wanted to marry him someday, but she was still very young. They had just started their relationship and she had so much going on with building the New Republic that she wanted to wait on marriage – _but she still said no_.

It had never _really_ bothered Han. It was more like a small bruise on your body that you could go days without remembering but as soon as someone pointed it out or touched it, it hurt. Thinking of the past four years of their relationship, there was never anything that had made Han doubt Leia's feelings. Han was happy with his life with Leia and he was secure in her commitment to him. He and Leia had been living together in the same apartment since they settled on Coruscant. Leia did not try to hide her relationship with Han to anyone and there was no reason to suspect or to feel that Leia did not love him and intend to marry him one day. Truth be told, he had never asked her again to find out what her current response would be.

Now, she had done a couple of things, as Han recalled, in the very beginning, such as when she insisted that Han rent his own apartment. There had been a heated discussion between them and Han did not understand the point of him renting an apartment that they both fully intended to leave empty. Leia thought the gesture was required for propriety, as she had every intention of living with Han but she was acutely sensitive to the opinions of not only the High Council of the New Republic but of the remaining survivors of Alderaan and what their estimation would be of the Princess living with any man outside of marriage. She explained that if he held an apartment in his name then she could honestly say that although they were in a serious relationship that they both maintained their separate residences. If anyone wanted to research her claim they would find said apartment listed to him and the case would be closed. And, in her defense, the question had been asked and the dummy apartment had served its purpose on more than one occasion.

As Han began to fidget uncomfortably in his chair, he thanked the Corellian gods when they finally called his name for their debriefing. Han couldn't recall ever feeling so relieved to do something that he usually despised. The meeting was simple and brief; debriefings for successful missions usually were. With that out of the way, Han and Chewie headed back to the hangar to work on the _Falcon_ since she was having problems with one of her stabilizers and they wanted to get it fixed before they took her up again.

The two worked separately for the rest of the day, with Han working on the exterior of the ship tweaking the stabilizer while Chewie worked inside manning the controls and making adjustments as needed. The two did not speak about their conversation earlier and Chewie never mentioned the newscast they had witnessed in the waiting room. Han was glad that nothing else had been brought up between the two, but as his day wore on in conspicuous silence, his mind continued to wander and his hurt and frustration grew.


	3. Chapter 3

_Happy Friday everyone! Here's the next chapter, thanks so much to those of you who have reviewed. I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoy this next installment..._

Han returned to their apartment that evening later than usual. When he entered he was immediately greeted by the smell of something cooking in the kitchen. He smirked. Leia _never_ cooked. It was not her strong suit and after several failed attempts at learning they both agreed that it was not worth the risk to their health and happiness that her cooking imposed. If she was "cooking" anything it was probably a frozen meal that she was re-hydrating. She was superb at re-hydrating. But the fact that she would even make the gesture let Han know that she was probably feeling a little guilty about the situation. If Han had encountered some questions and remarks throughout his day, chances were Leia had experienced the same.

Han looked down at himself and realized just how filthy he was. Deciding he wasn't quite ready to face Leia anyway, he quietly walked to their bedroom and disappeared into the 'fresher. He tried to use his time in the shower to calm his attitude and predisposition to fight with Leia when he saw her.

He exited the 'fresher and wrapped a towel around his waist. As he walked through the door to their bedroom he halted at the sight of her sitting on their bed looking at him. She looked beautiful, as usual, dressed in a khaki skirt that hit her at the knees, a simple white short-sleeved blouse with iridescent buttons down the front. Her hair was in a loose, single braid and it was slung forward over her shoulder, the end of it barely resting on her lap. She was barefooted and her shirt was un-tucked. She looked relaxed and apprehensive at the same time. Han didn't know how she pulled that off, but she did.

"Hey." He spoke to her as he stepped forward and offered a kiss.

"Hey." She replied as she tilted her head forward and accepted it. "I didn't hear you come in." Han heard that as, _I know that you are avoiding me_.

"Problems with the aft stabilizer, I wanted to get cleaned up." His half-sentences were a dead giveaway that he was hiding something. He knew it, she had told him so before, but he couldn't help himself. He pulled a pair of boxers out of a drawer, dropped the towel and slipped them on.

"Uh-um." Was Leia's only response. Han heard, _So you're going to make me pry it out of you_.

"What smells so good?" He tried to recover and change the subject all at the same time as he turned to her and began slipping on a pair of casual pants.

"What's wrong, Han?" She exhaled as she said it, as if she wasn't in the mood to play games.

"What?" He answered innocently as he rummaged for just the right shirt for this conversation. Han _was_ in the mood to play games; it was far more enticing than having _this_ conversation.

"Come on, you come home late, you go straight into the 'fresher without even telling me hello and you're acting…_aloof_."

"Aloof? That's a good one. I told you I wanted to get cleaned up, is that a crime?" _And do you really want to talk about this?_

"Alright, if this is how you want to play it, let's go eat before it gets cold." Her tone was sharp as she spat the words out at him.

She got up from the bed and walked past him. He was just finished pulling his shirt over his head as he saw her body brush by. The tone of her voice angered him; she had no right to be irritated. Grabbing her by the arm, he turned her body to face him. She glanced down at his hand with indignation and looked into his eyes with an icy glare. She was prepared for battle and now Han was ready to aim and shoot. "I'm not playing anything, _sweetheart_. This is no _game_ to me."

"What is it, Han? The Isolder thing? What? Did some of the guys give you a rough time?" She was being condescending and it infuriated him. Making light of his feelings was alright for him but not her. She spoke the words out of exhaustion, like it was a conversation that they had had numerous times already when in reality they had only spoken about it once. He also did not like the way she referred to it by his name, _Isolder_, not the Hapan thing or something else. It was if she had slapped him in the face with her casual use of that man's name.

"Yeah, the _Isolder_ thing, and I don't get bent out of shape from idle gossip, you know that." He said it with determination and meaning, even though he did feel that it was not entirely true.

"So what is it? What happened that has gotten you so hot and bothered since we talked about all of this yesterday?" He had let go of her arm and she swung her hands out when she said "all of this" as if encircling volumes of conversations on the subject.

"We talked about it for two seconds in bed last night, Leia. I'd hardly call that a completed conversation."

"Ok, well, then what else do we need to clarify on the subject that we didn't discuss last night?" She crossed her arms and waited for his reply, her expression was one of annoyance.

Han didn't reply right away. He could usually read her fairly well and he could tell she was putting up a front. She was acting as if she felt she was totally in the right which was usually a sure sign that she felt completely in the wrong. So he formulated his next words carefully, not wanting to fight about the Hapan thing. That's not what upset him; it was only the catalyst to the reaction. So he said, "You told me no."

He watched her face turn from confusion to enlightenment in a nanosecond. Her demeanor softened and she uncrossed her arms, looked down at the ground and then back up to him. While she shook her head back and forth she said, "I _told you_ I wanted to wait."

"You used the word no, _to me_, and you told _him_ you would think about it."

"Han, you know why I answered the way I did-"

"Yeah, I know, because it's all _politics and politeness_ when you're dealin' with anyone but me."

"You know that's not true."

"Marry me."

"What?"

"Marry me, now. All those reasons you gave me on Endor are no longer valid, right? So why don't we get married _now?_"

"I'm not going to let someone else dictate when we get married."

"I don't want to marry you because of the Hapan thing, _I've_ wanted to marry you since Endor."

"You haven't brought up marriage _since_ Endor, Han. If it's not the Hapan thing then why is it all of a sudden such a big rush? Why now?"

He grabbed her by both arms up near her shoulders and held her eyes for a moment before he said, "I think the question is more along the lines of, why not now, Leia?"


	4. Chapter 4

"I think the question is more along the lines of, why not now_,_ Leia?" The words hit her like turbolasers from a Star Destroyer. Everyone always thought that she had the gift for wielding words like weapons, but Han wasn't so bad at it himself when the occasion called for it. She suddenly felt like she was underwater and that it was impossible to fill her lungs up with air. He was holding onto her at the shoulders with a firm grasp making her feel trapped. His eyes were boring into her as if he was looking down into her soul.

She knew her answer should match his question, either in stealth or sentiment. But she refused to accept a proposal of marriage in reaction to a ridiculous political ploy. So she replied, matching in neither stealth nor sentiment, with, "You're being ridiculous, this whole Hapan thing will be blown over by next week." _I hope_.

"That's not an answer." He said as he released her from his grasp and walked past her out of the bedroom.

She felt wretched and defeated. She did not want to hurt him, but couldn't he see how ridiculous he was being? Of course this was all in reaction to the Hapan incident. Everything had been perfect between them until today. There was no other reason for his impromptu proposal of marriage other than to trump the Hapan's and she would not accept a proposal offered in such a manner, not even from Han.

Of course she wanted to marry him. As she looked back on their conversation she realized he was right. All the reasons she wasn't ready to marry him on Endor were gone. She was not so young anymore. They were definitely in a successful long-term relationship and although things were not ideal with the New Republic, she would have to be realistic and admit that they would _never_ be perfect.

She wondered just what had set him off that day. He did mention that "idle gossip" didn't upset him so she was sure something had happened. She couldn't count how many times people had asked her in confidence how Han was handling the situation prompting her to dwell on his feelings and point of view throughout her entire day. Coming home from work early just so she could have dinner waiting for him when he got home, she had tried to smooth the path for them. When she had heard him enter the apartment she'd waited for him to find her in the kitchen. After several time parts she realized he had snubbed her and that all hope for a smooth evening had gone down the proverbial drain of his long shower.

She had met with Mon Mothma, among other people today. Mon had come to Leia to offer her support in this "unfortunate" predicament. She ensured Leia that the New Republic did not expect her to marry anyone to further trade negotiations; she had even likened the Hapan's proposal to a practice the kin to slave trade. However, Mon had stressed to Leia the importance of a treaty with the Hapes cluster and had strongly encouraged her to handle the proposal as delicately and deliberately as possible.

When Leia had expressed an interest in squashing the proposal at her earliest convenience, Mon urged her to use restraint and to wait until all the other negotiations were complete before turning the Queen Mother down. Leia did not like the idea of leaving the proposal to be the deciding factor of the entire deal. She voiced that opinion to Mon, citing that that would only increase the pressure and blame on Leia and her refusal.

Mon had answered her diplomatically but Leia could not help but feel that her mentor was speaking somewhat out of both sides of her mouth. She truly believed that Mon supported her decision and did not expect her to marry Prince Isolder, but she also thought that her request to string the Hapan's along was putting Leia's political reputation at serious risk, not to mention her relationship with Han. Leia also noticed that Mon never once mentioned Han's name, as if he should not be a factor to consider in this dilemma. After their conversation was over Leia felt more confused, helpless and frustrated about the whole situation than she had previously.

Realizing that she should probably go after him, Leia exited the bedroom and found Han sitting at the dining room table eating the meal she had prepared. "Thanks for waiting for me," she snapped as she walked past him and into the kitchen.

Leia fixed herself a plate and grabbed a drink before she returned to the table to take a seat across from Han. As she lowered herself into her chair she watched him practically jump out of his seat, pick up his plate and glass and disappear into the kitchen. _So I'm in for the silent treatment for the rest of the night, huh, Solo?_

As she ate her dinner she noticed that Han had never come back from the kitchen. When she was finished she picked up her dishes and headed that way, pausing right before she entered. He obviously knew that she would come in there eventually. If he wanted to avoid her he would have left by now, which only led her to believe that he had wanted to allow her to eat her meal before they continued their argument. She steadied herself and entered the room. _If he asks me again, I think I'll just say yes_.

He was leaning against the kitchen counter sipping on a glass of something; it looked like whiskey but Leia couldn't be sure. She didn't see an opened bottle out anywhere. Glancing at him before she turned her back and loaded her dirty dishes in the steamer, she could feel his stare beating down on her from behind. When she was done she stood there with her back to him and tried to think of what she wanted to say. _Just tell him he's right_. Exhaling her breath, she prepared to turn and face him, but the sound of glass being placed on the counter halted her movement. She felt his arms circle her waist before his hands came to rest on her belly. Placing his head on her shoulder, she felt his breath in her ear as he said, "I don't want to fight with you."

Her heart sank and she felt her eyes moisten. She didn't want to fight either. She spun around in his arms and placed her hands on the sides of his face, studying his eyes for a moment before she spoke. Rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs she said, "I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not hurting me. You're right. This whole thing will probably be over by next week and I'm letting something get to me that isn't anything at all."

"It is something if it comes between us. I don't want anything to come between us." Her voice was beginning to crack as her words poured out of her mouth.

"I know that. Let's just forget about it, OK? We've wasted enough time fighting about it already." He lowered his face to meet hers and took one final look into her eyes before he kissed her.

She shut her eyes in return and snaked her hands around his neck, weaving her fingers through his hair. It was always difficult for them to kiss very long while standing up due to their height difference so she wasn't surprised when she felt his hands grab her hips and lift her up onto the kitchen counter, bringing them face to face. She separated her knees allowing him space to stand closer to her as he deepened his kiss. Han was highly skilled at a good many things - piloting and drawing his blaster among them - but the way he could kiss her, and the emotions and reactions he could stir up with just his mouth on hers, was extraordinary and she reveled in it.

His fingers were working the buttons of her blouse as the garment fell open. Relocating his mouth to the valley between her breasts he trailed kisses over her mounds and his hands began to push the fabric of her skirt up towards her hips. Gently massaging her thighs and in between kisses he whispered, "So when are you going to break the news to the Hapans?"

She was startled by his question, not only because she thought they had just agreed to drop it, but also because she knew he would not be happy with her answer. She kept it vague with, "The rest of the treaty is being negotiated first."

His hands stopped their advancement on her thighs. His face drew slightly away from her chest but his head did not rise as he said, "That's not an answer."

He knew she was evading the question. She could feel his body tensing along with her own. _Please, don't make me answer you_. She knew she was so close to glossing over this thing tonight that it led her to try another tactic. She pulled his head up to hers and forced his body to straighten before wrapping her legs around his thighs. Pressing her body into his she began to kiss him again. He did not kiss her back. After very quickly realizing that her attempt had failed she pulled away from him and looked at his face as she replied, "Mon wants me to wait until the negotiations are more _settled_."

He shook his head at her and she suddenly felt very aware of her body position and what she had just tried to distract his attention with. That, on top of what she just told him, left her feeling cheap and wrong. He backed away from her. _Goddess, please don't do this to me!_

Scooting back on the counter she pulled her skirt down and closed her legs. He shook his head at her as he said, "That's still not an answer." And then he turned around and walked out of the room.

While Leia ran through the last few moments in her head and tried to compose herself she heard their apartment door open and cycle shut. Han had left. She was confused by what had just happened. After seemingly apologizing for over-reacting and calling a truce, he opened the argument right back up again and walked out. His erratic behavior only hinted more to the fact that something had happened today that had Han angry and flustered. Of course he didn't want to fight with her, just like he said, but he also couldn't pretend it all away, no matter how hard he tried and she had evaded his direct question - twice. _Way to go, Organa_.

She didn't want this to linger between them any longer while he went gods knew where and stewed over it. Hopping off of the counter, she buttoned her blouse, located her shoes and headed to the _Falcon_. Han was never a difficult man to find; he was usually in his office, in their apartment or at the _Falcon_. Since she knew he would not go to his office this late at night she felt pretty sure she would find him in his beloved ship.

Hurrying across the hangar floor she noticed the boarding ramp was closed. A closer look revealed that the alarms were fully engaged. Han and Chewie almost always left the ramp down when they were on board and they never set the alarms unless she was shut down for the night.

Leia palmed herself in and shut down the alarms. Lowering the ramp, she boarded the _Falcon_ and found herself in total darkness, making it immediately evident that Han had not come here. Making a round through the tiny ship, she wondered, _where in the hell did he go_? There was only one place to go on Coruscant this late at night and that was the underground.

The underground was composed of gambling halls, dance halls, bars and strip clubs. Han had not frequented any of those establishments for as long as Leia had known him. That side of Han was left behind with his smuggling days. But if he wasn't there, then where was he? _And where was Chewie?_ Chewie usually slept on the _Falcon_. _Did Han come here and leave with Chewie?_

Immediately aware of how alone she was in the hangar and that she had left the boarding ramp down, Leia turned off all the lights, leaving the _Falcon_ the way she had found her, and exited to the ground below. As she raised the ramp and reset the alarms her emotions swung like a pendulum back and forth between self-loathing for her own actions and anger at the head-strong, temperamental Corellian for his over-reaction. Leia felt dizzy. As she headed back to their apartment she was stopped in her tracks when an idea entered her mind. _What about _his_ apartment?_

Leia had only been to Han's apartment once when she'd gone with him to sign the lease. As far as she knew, he had never gone back there. It was as good a place to try as any and was more appealing than returning to her apartment alone or lurking in the underground in search for her estranged boyfriend.

She quickly found the building and located Han's name on the registry; she did not even remember which number the apartment had been. As she rode the lift to the fifth floor she wondered why she felt so nervous. She chuckled at the realization that she was thinking he could be in there with another woman. As if Han could have gone out, found someone else and brought her to this apartment in the short time part that she had last seen him. _Han would never do that regardless of how much time he had._ But as the lift doors opened it was that silly impossibility that had her practically running to find the apartment door.

Placing her palm on the access panel she held her breath, hoping that she remembered correctly that they validated her palm print all those years ago. She exhaled as the door swished open and revealed a dark and very empty apartment. While quickly glancing up and down the hallway, she took a step into the apartment and let the door slide shut behind her. She quickly fumbled on the wall to her right as she flicked on the overhead lighting.

Letting her eyes adjust to the light, she looked around her. It looked exactly the same as it had all those years ago. She remembered the argument that she and Han had had about getting this apartment in the first place. She also remembered how he had finally given in. The emotions the sight of the apartment awoke in her were unsettling. The emptiness, the dust and the darkness snickered at her like an evil joke. Was this representative of the life that she made Han live?

They lived in _her_ apartment, by _her_ rules of etiquette, working for _her_ government and living _her_ dream. She suddenly felt very selfish. Han had given up everything for her. He had abandoned his prior life for her. Han would argue that it wasn't much of a life to give up anyway but the fact was that he had. She had taken him for granted - taken it all for granted. Suddenly cold and feeling a strong desire to return home, she palmed her way out of the apartment and flipped the light off as she exited. _You need to do whatever you have to do to make this right_…


	5. Chapter 5

On the other side of Coruscant at Luke Skywalker's apartment; a Jedi, a smuggler and a Wookiee were playing a game of Sabacc. It wasn't often that the smuggler and the Wookiee came knocking on the Jedi's door, so he was immediately suspicious.

"So, Han. What's Leia up to tonight, again?" _Please tell me you're not out with Prince Isolder, Leia_. He held his breath while he waited for Han to respond to the same question he had evaded twice previously this evening.

[Maybe she's picking out china.] Chewie growled after he took a long swig of his alcoholic concoction. _It's time for cub to put his foot down with her_.

Luke was startled for a moment, he usually had to work at reading Chewie's thoughts and he only did that with express permission. He could only assume that their inebriated state had let all of their guards down somewhat; it was the only explanation Luke could think of. As he took a sip of his drink, he wondered just how interesting this night might get. _I can't wait 'til Han starts thinking something_…

"Shove it, Chewie." Han threw two cards on the table and signaled Luke for two more as he answered him with, "I told you, she's home. I can go out by myself you know. I'm a grown man." _She's probably combing Coruscant looking for me, she'd never think I'd come here_.

A broad grin snaked across Luke's face as his theory was confirmed. _So you only came to visit me to hide from my sister. Real smooth, Han_.

"What? You're actin' like you aren't happy to see me." Han looked confused by Luke's wide grin. _You better not be readin' my thoughts, you sunnavabitch_.

Luke nearly burst out laughing at this slurred threat. _I couldn't _not_ read your thoughts if I tried, you drunk!_ "Of course I'm glad to see you." He answered considerately.

[What am I? Chopped nerf steak?] Chewie snarled.

"And you, too, Chewie, of course." Luke shook his head at his inebriated companions and continued, "I just thought what with you just getting back and all that, that Leia would want you all to herself."

[That's what she has the Prince for.] Chewie slapped his paw on the table and hooted at himself while he watched Han's delayed reaction. _I'm going to push you as far as necessary on this one, cub_.

"Chewie, I'd hate to mess up Luke's apartment since we hardly ever come here and all. But if you say one more godsdamn thing about Leia, I'm gonna turn you into spare Wookiee parts and ship you off to Kashyyyk in tiny, little boxes." _Quit pushing me, I can handle my own godsdamn business!_

[Can I talk about the Prince, then?] He kept his paw on the table and tried to make a straight face as he goaded his best friend mercilessly.

"That's it!" Han went to stand up and toppled over towards Luke.

"Alright, that's enough, Chewie. Quit picking on Han, would ya?" Luke shot Chewie a disapproving glare while he straightened Han back up in his chair.

"Yeah, listen to Luke or I'll have him go wicked Jedi on ya or somethin'." Han slurred at Chewie. _Wicked Jedi. That's pretty good, Solo_.

[Always waiting for someone else to fight your battles, huh?] Chewie flinched when he finished his sentence in what looked like anticipation of Han jumping over the table at him. _You must be really drunk if you are letting me get away with that one, cub_.

Han just sat there and stared at the Wookiee for a little while before he looked down at his cards and said, "I'm not going to let you ruin my night out, Chewie. I came here to have a good time and that's what I intend on doin'." _If I wasn't so fuckin' drunk, I'd be kickin' some Wookiee ass right now. Maybe it's safe to go home now_.

As the card game progressed, things got a little dizzying for the Jedi. Unable to block the thoughts coming from his drunken friends, they began to pelt him like blaster fire from an AT-AT. Luke started to get a headache from trying to translate drunken Wookiee into coherent basic.

Some of the more informative thoughts gave Luke some ammunition for a conversation that he had desired to have with Han. According to Han's random musings (both vocalized and otherwise), Luke found out that he and Leia had argued about this Hapan thing and he had stormed out of their apartment after asking her to marry him again. Luke could tell that Han was not worried that Leia would actually marry Prince Isolder, but that he was just upset about the entire situation and how it reflected larger underlying issues between them regarding marriage, Leia's commitment (or over commitment) to the Republic and her over sensitivity to the opinions of just about everyone in the galaxy but Han. _I can't believe I got all of that out of a drunken Han. It's amazing how so many people fail to see how much more there is to this guy than meets the eye_.

Chewie, on the other hand, was fairly simple to figure out once you were able to translate, and the drunker Luke got the easier he found it to translate drunken Wookiee. Chewie loved Leia seemingly more than he loved Han, claiming that she probably needed more protection than his life-debted buddy, cub. But Chewie was growing restless for both himself and Han. He had been delaying a long trip home to Kashyyyk in hopes of leaving a married cub behind on Coruscant and he felt it was far passed the time that Leia and Han should be married. Chewie blamed Han for not being more firm with the fiery princess and was gearing himself up to confront her, practicing his long speech in his drunken stupor. _Man, how did Leia and I fall in with these two? We really are lucky_. _I must be drunk; I'm getting all sappy_…

Realizing too late that he was getting way too inebriated to counsel anybody, Luke figured he had enough information to speak to Han about and resigned himself to wait until they could have a sober conversation tomorrow.

"Where ya gonna be tomorra, Han?" Luke slurred. _Gods I'm drunk!_

[At Leia's weddin…didn'tcha get ya invitashun?] Chewie went to slam back another swig of his concoction only to find it empty, when he brought the cup down from his face he found an angry Corellian charging over the table at him. _Well, it's about time!_

Luke watched it all in slow motion; Chewie's hand was coming forward while his cup lowered from his face as Han shot up out of his seat, shoving his chair backwards behind him. Then Luke watched Han jump up on his table, cards and drinks flying everywhere and Han crawling across the table on his hands and knees scurrying towards the Wookiee like a womprat.

"I don't know how many times I hafta warn ya, Chewie. That's your ass, now!" _If I can just use my leverage off of this table to get him on his back, it'll be all over for the walkin' carpet!_

"Han!" Luke yelled at the smuggler crawling across his dining room table.

Before Han could get his hands up and onto Chewie's shoulders, Chewie was rising up out of his chair and grabbing Han with his long arms.

"Chewie!" Luke yelled at the Wookiee and thanked the stars that these two didn't visit him often.

Luke couldn't help but laugh and as he watched the two rolling around on the floor, he thought to himself: _Just get them the hell outta here, Luke, you can talk to Han at the Falcon tomorrow_…


	6. Chapter 6

When Leia arrived back at their apartment she found that Han had still not returned. Completing her usual night time routine in the 'fresher, she slipped into their bed and grabbed her datapad to review notes for her meetings the next day.

Later, realizing she had fallen asleep, Leia awoke and found that her datapad was the still the only thing lying next to her in the bed. Her reading light, which she was sure had been on, was turned off. She crawled out of the bed and walked out to the living area.

His feet hanging off of the side of the couch was the first thing she saw. None of the furniture in their living area was long enough for the tall, hard-headed Corellian. _Not even your furniture accommodates him properly_.

She walked around the sofa so that she could see him. He was lying on his back and his hands were folded over his chest forming an X. The site startled Leia for a second as she thought he looked like a corpse. Finally realizing by his body position and lack of coverings that he must be cold, she quietly went back to their room, grabbed a blanket, returned to the living room and covered his body. As the warmth of the blanket settled on him, she watched as he turned to his side and relaxed his arms. Again, she felt a pang of guilt for what she was putting him through, and she turned around and went back to bed for the night. The rest of her sleep was difficult and restless.

The next morning Leia's alarm woke her up. That was a very unusual occurrence for her. Her late night and restless sleep made for a very tired princess. As she turned off the alarm and flung her legs over the side of the bed, she remembered just what had kept her up the night before. Quickly sliding off of the bed she headed for the living room. It was immediately obvious that Han wasn't on the sofa any longer. Walking into the kitchen, she noticed the kaffe had been brewed and there was a dirty cup sitting in the sink. He had left already.

Her heart sank. She couldn't believe that he was letting this come between them. She could not have been clearer about her feelings for him. She had expressed her commitment to him vehemently. _But what about your actions?_ Leia knew better than anyone that perception was reality to most people. Thinking about her current situation she once again cringed at the callousness of it, especially from Han's point of view.

She glanced at the chrono and realized that she had better get to the office; she had several meetings on her agenda this morning. Leia made it to the office without incident and quickly fell into her normal routine. She was quite distracted the entire morning. If one more person asked her about Han she thought she would scream. Replying to a holomail, she was startled when her assistant chimed in on her office comm, "Councilor Organa, Prince Isolder is here for your lunch meeting."

_What?_ She had totally forgotten about their lunch meeting. She had agreed to it when it had been the only available time on her calendar. She had agreed to it when Han was still speaking to her and sharing her bed. Wondering how she could justify sitting down to lunch at a city café with a man that had proposed to her days ago while Han slept on her sofa the night before, Leia dropped her head into her hands. _Well there's no getting out of it now, Organa_.

Pushing herself up to a standing position, she let her assistant know that she would be right out, not feeling comfortable with inviting Isolder into her office. As counterfeit as the proposal was, it almost automatically implied an intimacy between the two of them. Leia suddenly felt nervous and self-conscious at the thought of being alone with him, and then she thought of Han. How would she feel if the shoe was on the other foot? _That would never happen…and therein lies part of your problem_.

She steadied herself and exited her office. Greeting Isolder coolly, she could tell that her behavior confused him. Before he could ask her, she offered that they eat at the dining hall on the first floor of her office building. She felt that it was less likely that they would be seen there and it would preserve the atmosphere of a meeting more than a public café would. He hesitantly agreed and offered his arm to her as he spun on his heels to leave the reception area. She turned to her assistant and feigned some important remark, leaving Isolder to drop his arm and her assistant wondering about her employer's state of mind.

After several failed attempts at small talk prior to their food being delivered, Isolder began again with, "What is wrong, Leia? You seem different than the last time we spoke. Have I done something to offend you?"

If he hadn't offended her already, the casual use of her name was doing a pretty good job of it. She calmed herself down and responded, "Nothing is wrong, Prince Isolder. I am just very busy and I usually don't take the time to leave the office for lunch." _For anybody but Han_.

"Your work is very important to you. That is commendable. That is one of the many things I admire about you."

Now, Leia hadn't dated much in her younger life and her and Han's courtship could hardly be called normal, but she was pretty sure she could recognize a pick-up line when she heard one. This was one. The fact that Isolder may not have been in on the planning of this little political maneuver may be a moot point as it seemed perfectly clear to her now that he was joining in on the game.

She thought of her conversation with Mon and of all the politically correct ways she could handle his remark. Then she thought of Han and just what kind of response Isolder truly deserved from someone who was in a committed relationship like she and Han were. She took a deep breath and responded, "Prince Isolder, I feel I must be brutally honest with you at this point."

Before she could continue he interjected, "Is this about the General?"

_The General?_ She did not appreciate his tone or the way he referred to Han like a piece of furniture that unfortunately happened to sit in her apartment. She answered him firmly, "Yes, this is about _Han,_" using his name as a not-so-subtle indication of their relationship. "We are in a committed relationship and I'm afraid the proposal your mother has made to the New Republic will never come to fruition." _There, you said it! Why don't you feel any better?_

"Leia, this general has been a hero to your alliance. I understand that. He was also a distraction for you during the horrors of your Rebellion crusade. But you must see how inappropriate it is for you, the last remaining member of the House of Organa, to trifle with a character of such questionable esteem. You must recognize the absurdity."

She was frozen. Her body felt like it had been left outside on Hoth after the shield doors closed. He had reached across the table and he was stroking her hand with his. His comments were too much for her to process at one time. She was almost morbidly impressed that one person had single-handedly insulted her, her lover, her family, her home planet and the Rebellion in a few short sentences. Isolder had trampled on everything that was anything to her, something that it had taken even the media several years to accomplish. _I wonder if I throw up on him if it would even the score?_

He was smiling at her and she was completely at a loss for an appropriate response to his actions. She was sure she must've looked mortified and shocked, so his pleasant demeanor was unnerving. She felt the situation spiraling out of her control as she looked past Isolder's shoulder to see Han and Chewie stopping at the window outside and looking in at her. She quickly pulled her hand from Isolder's as Han turned and walked away.

Chewie stood and looked at her and she thought she would explode under his disapproving stare. The trance between them was broken as Leia turned to Isolder, who had apparently been speaking to her, "…mean to be so frank with you, but I feel it is my obligation and duty -"

She stood up abruptly, causing him to stop speaking. Her eyes were searching for Chewie or Han on the street outside as she absently responded to his words, "I am not surprised by your sentiment, Prince Isolder. If you will excuse me, however, there is somewhere that I need to be."


	7. Chapter 7

Han didn't know how or why he woke up so early after his very interesting night at Luke's apartment, but wake up early he did. Maybe it was the godsdamn uncomfortable sofa he was sleeping on, but he didn't dwell on it. He didn't even bother changing his clothes; he didn't want to take a chance of waking Leia. There was no way he was in the mood to talk to her right now. Heading to the _Falcon_ after a quick cup of kaffe, Han slipped out of their apartment without being noticed.

Upon reaching the _Falcon_, Han curbed his first inclination to be quiet and not disturb the sleeping Wookiee onboard. Remembering his friend's behavior the night before, Han banged around loudly in the galley while he brewed some kaffe and followed up with an obnoxious amount of slamming and other noises throughout his shower and dressing routine. By the time Han exited his cabin and walked to the _Falcon's_ lounge, he found an angry Wookiee sitting at the holotable.

[If this is your idea of payback, I'm going to take you outside and make a man out of you.] Chewie was sipping on a large mug of kaffe and holding his head with one paw.

Feeling better after his kaffe and shower, Han responded cheerfully, "What? I'm sorry buddy, did I wake you?" _Remember? You have a wedding to go to, you smart ass_.

[Just get me about ten hyposprays and another liter of kaffe and I'll show you what's what.]

"Let me tell you _what's what_, ya walkin' carpet. I'm goin' work on the aft stabilizer and I expect you at the controls by the time I get there. Go it?"

For several hours, the Wookiee and the smuggler worked in silence, one on the outside of the ship and one inside at the controls. Once the problem with the aft stablizer was isolated, Han walked up the boarding ramp and met Chewie in the lounge.

Throwing the offending object down on the holochess table, Han scoffed, "I told you it was the limit valve."

[You blamed every godsdamn part down the circuitry line; of course you would eventually be proven right.]

Ignoring his buddy's jibe, Han ran his fingers through his hair and asked, "Now's the real problem. Who carries this make limit valve on Coruscant?"

[What about that old junk dealer that we got those bearings from?]

"I guess that's a good a place as any to start with." Han looked at the Wookiee and added, "Let's go."

As they walked out of the hangar bay and down the streets of Coruscant, Chewie growled softly at Han, [What is your plan to handle the situation with little one?]

"Little one" was one of the nicknames that Chewie called Leia. Han cringed at the thought of: one, dealing with the situation, and two, discussing it with the Wookiee. He exhaled heavily as he shook his head and said, "It ain't much of a situation, Chewie. It's the same old political shit that we usually just ignore, why ya so interested this time?"

[I'm interested because it involves marriage. You know you should be married already, cub.]

"According to you. Look, we'll get married when _we're_ ready, not when your Wookiee biological clock starts tickin'. And, by the way, I don't need you actin' like my walkin', krethin' subconscious."

Chewie ignored the last part of Han's retort, recognizing it as a tactic to derail this conversation. He kept to the issue and replied, [You mean, when _she's_ ready. You give her too much control, cub. She needs to be pushed sometimes; it is her nature to resist this, no matter how much she loves you. This marriage represents much to her that she is fearful to face, but you must not let her cower to those fears.]

Han thought about what Chewie said. This marriage only meant one thing to Han: making their love and their commitment official. But if he was fair and listened to his Wookiee counterpart's words, he had to realize that it meant a lot more to the woman in question.

Was it not a reminder that her father and her family would not be there with her to witness the ceremony? Han cringed at the thought that a marriage to him may limit her political career, but Leia was savvy enough to have thought of that real possibility. Then there were the remaining ascendants of Alderaan and the High Council, two groups that still fully expected their princess to marry into a Royal House, preserving the Organa blood line, not spilling it on the cantina floor with a two-bit smuggler turned General.

After realizing that Chewie was waiting for him to respond, Han answered him with an exhausted sigh, "What do you want me to do, Chewie? Kidnap her and force her to marry me at blaster point?"

Reaching the junk store, Chewie paused and opened the door for Han. As Han walked past him into the store Chewie glared at him and growled under his breath, [If that's the only idea you can come up with, then – yes, I should be your krethin' subconscious.]

The junk store owner ensured the two pilots that he could procure the specific limit valve needed for the _Falcon's_ aft stabilizer by sunrise the next day. Weighing their other option of tramping across Coruscant searching for the elusive part on some junk store shelf, they quickly paid the store keep and promised to return in the morning.

As they exited the store, Chewie glanced down the block and said to Han, [Is that not little one's building?]

Han followed the Wookiee's stare and nodded his head in agreement while pointing his thumb in the other direction and saying, "Yeah, the hangar's this way." _I'm not going see her, ya big lug. Just drop it._

[I'm hungry, let's go ask little one to lunch. You know she never eats enough.]

"You're always hungry, and – no, I don't want to see her right now. Besides, she never stops for lunch."

[Fine, I'll go alone and then she'll know you are avoiding her.]

As Han watched the Wookiee walk away from him, he cursed under his breath and followed a couple of paces behind. He finally caught up with Chewie as the Wookiee stood in front of Leia's building looking through the transparisteel-enclosed lobby. It did not take Han long to see what had caught the Wookiee's attention.

It was Leia. She was sitting at a café table; her table was facing in such way that Han and Chewie had a straight line of vision to her face with an angled view of the man she was seated with. It was Prince Isolder, there was no doubt.

[She never stops for lunch, huh?]

"It's just lunch, Chewie. I'm sure they're just disc- " Han stopped his sentence short as he watched the Prince reach over and gently grasp Leia's hand, stroking her skin with his thumb. Han didn't know which happened faster, the blood draining down from his head or the rage flooding up from his gut, but his eyes blurred at the intensity of the conflict. Her eyes came up to meet his and as he recognized the horrified, guilty expression covering her face, he turned and walked away.

[Why am I not surprised?] Chewie howled as his eyes bore down on her through the transparisteel. He refused to break eye contact with her, willing his thoughts into her mind. _You are stronger than this. You are letting other people manipulate your life. If you are not careful you will succumb to their insane plans for you._ She broke eye contact with him and Chewie turned and walked away.

Chewie truly loved Leia and he did not enjoy the fury that he currently felt at the thought of her and her actions. He knew she and cub belonged together. He knew they were both strong-willed, hard-headed, passionate human beings that often came to odds with each other over that mere fact alone. But those traits were also what bonded them, what made them two unique elements that attracted each other and fit with each other in such a way that it could not be denied that they belonged to each other, that the universe had created them to complete each other.

As Chewie reached the hangar bay he slowed his pace, his Wookiee senses causing the fur on the back of his neck to ruffle. He was being followed; it wasn't hard to figure out by whom. He saw the _Falcon_ and noticed Han was sitting in the pilot's chair of the cockpit. When Chewie reached the boarding ramp he paused, turned around and stood, watching the hangar door he had just entered through. Knowing she was not far behind, he stood there, waiting for her, ensuring that his eyes were the first thing she would see. She would listen to him, one way or another.


	8. Chapter 8

Leia left Isolder at the table, dumbstruck and quite incensed. She did not give the prince another thought. Moving as quickly as her short legs would take her, she went to find Han and explain everything. _What's left to explain? You'll be lucky if he doesn't shoot first and ask questions later_.

She couldn't find them on the street so she decided to head to the hangar and the _Falcon_. If he wasn't there already, she was quite certain he would be there eventually. _You might have to stop him from leaving the planet_.

As the _Falcon_ came into view she slowed her pace, trying to allow her heart rate to decrease and catch her breath. The sight of him startled her, nearly causing her to freeze in her tracks. It was Chewie; his attitude and temperament reflected in his posture. He was angry. Livid, even. Standing in front of the _Falcon's_ boarding ramp, it looked as though he was protecting it from someone. _He is_.

She looked him in the eyes as she greeted him, "Chewie." She knew better than to mince words with an angry Wookiee.

[Leia.] The single word reverberated through her entire psyche like a mynock trapped in a cage.

Chewie always called people by nicknames. For her he usually preferred "little one" or "the princess". He called Han "cub" and other nicknames to goad him. She had heard Chewie say Han's name on a handful of occasions. Those occasions had rooted a profound respect in Leia of a Wookiee's dangerous reputation. Leia had only heard Chewie use her name a couple of times. It was when she was in danger of something else, to get her attention, but never because she was in danger of _him_. This time was different and she recognized it immediately.

Not sure she was physically or mentally capable of battling an angry Wookiee, she tried to defer it with, "Is Han on board?"

[Yes.] He snarled back at her.

"Can I come aboard?"

[Where is your fiancée?] The Wookiee folded his arms and glared at her.

_Alright, I guess I deserve this. I'll try to be diplomatic._ "Chewie, you have to understand that this situation is complicated."

The Wookiee unfolded his arms and lowered himself to her as he responded pointedly with a low growl, [Too complex for me to comprehend?]

"That's not what I meant." _Please don't kill me before I get to talk to Han_.

[Our actions and our words always reflect what we really mean.] He straightened up and his voice was calmer.

_Ouch!_ Leia tried to placate the Wookiee by saying, "Chewie, you know I would never hurt Han. You know that I love him."

[I only know what I see - what we both saw.]

"Please, Chewie, I have to speak to him." She was losing this battle horribly and she merely wanted to cut her losses and try her luck with someone who was more likely to undoubtedly forgive her. _That's probably why the Wookiee doesn't want to let you in. He's protecting Han from you in more ways than one_.

[When a male and a female Wookiee fall in love they make a pledge to each other. There is no comparable word for it in basic, but it would loosely translate to a personal commitment.] He stopped and looked at her.

Fairly certain that he was not finished, she stared back at him and remained silent. He continued, [This commitment is between the two of them. Many personal commitments do not last. This is not dishonorable. A Wookiee may have several personal commitments along his journey.] He stopped again and they stared at each other in silence.

Leia could only assume that he was following some internal Wookiee clock that told him when the pause had been sufficient enough to drive his point across. As Leia grew more uncomfortable under his disapproving sneer, he finally continued, [When two Wookiees, who have made a personal commitment to one another, decide that they have found their life's mate, there is a ceremony. This ceremony is similar to your weddings. This, the Wookiees call a life commitment. Similar to my life debt to cub, life commitments are meant to last a lifetime. It is neither easy nor honorable to break a life commitment.]

The pause this time was very short, so much so that when he began to speak again it had startled Leia. [Personal commitments are for the two Wookiees involved. Two Wookiees can be in a personal commitment for years without other Wookiees knowing about it. The life commitment is for the tribe. It is a proclamation to the gods and all living beings that they belong to one another. You have a personal commitment to cub. You refuse to honor him with a life commitment. This is not complicated.]

He stepped aside as he finished his words revealing the boarding ramp and dismissing her all at once. Leia wasn't insulted by the gesture. She was relieved, having no idea how to respond to him. Starting up the ramp she almost lost her footing as Chewie palmed the ramp shut causing it to rise while she was still ascending it. _Why do I feel like I'm being led to the slaughter?_

Walking through the _Falcon_ she was not sure what she was going to say to Han. After quickly eliminating the lounge, galley and his bunk room, Leia headed to the cockpit only to find the door was shut. Standing before it she tried to picture the man on the other side of it. For all of his cockiness and bravado, Leia knew the man beneath it all. She knew his innermost secrets and fears. She had witnessed him cry, something she thought him incapable of when she first met him. He wasn't made of steel and she had hurt him. Realizing that her only other option was to stare at the door until it opened, Leia forced herself to palm the door controls and enter. _If he hasn't already erased your profile_.

When the door opened she immediately saw the back of his head. Sitting in his pilot's chair, he was apparently doing nothing more than staring out onto the hangar bay. She walked in and let the door slide closed behind her. Standing there for a moment she was unable to compel herself to speak.

He spoke without movement. She was unsure if he had really said anything at first. But she thought she had heard him say, "I'm sure it wasn't what it looked like."

Ashamed that that had probably been her first line of defense she cursed herself. Encouraged by the fact that he had spoken to her, she walked towards the co-pilot's seat and sat next to him. He looked indifferent, which scared her. She could deal with angry much better than indifference. Angry meant he still cared, indifferent was…much worse.

"Sweethear-"

He spun around to face her so quickly she nearly jumped out of her seat. He held his finger up to her face and said, "Don't! Don't call me that."

"Han, really -"

His face close to hers and his tone exasperated, he asked as his voice was rising, "Really what, Leia? You really love me? It was really not what it looked like? You really will tell the Hapans and the New Republic and the media the truth someday? What? What, really?"

"I can't talk to you when you're like this!" Her voice elevated to counter his.

"Then don't talk to me!" He stood up and left her as he palmed his way out of the cockpit door.

Later, when she looked back on it she would say that she felt helpless and distraught. However, just what emotions drove her to do what she did, she would never completely comprehend. She knew she had to do something and, like an epiphany, the idea came to her, impossible to ignore. It had worked on their way to Bespin all those years ago, just the two of them alone on the _Falcon _(well, Chewie was there then, but that's beside the point).

Before her brain had registered what the actions of her hands were doing, the cockpit door was locked and the _Falcon_ was going through her pre-flight warm-ups. Leia had flown the _Falcon_ by herself before but it had been years. She could only guess that it was the adrenaline in the heat of the moment that guided her.

As soon as the repulsorlifts engaged she heard him, banging on the door and cursing at her, "Leia, what the hell do you think you're doin'? Open this godsdamn door!" She was pretty sure he was kicking the door which she should have taken as a bad sign. Han would never hurt his ship without sufficient provocation. _I was not myself_, she would explain later.

The control tower did not begin to hail her until the _Falcon_ rose off of the platform. Turning the volume down on their receiver she scoffed at them; she did not need the tower's permission or assistance. _I'm just going to orbit the planet once or twice. I'm not going to penetrate the planetary shields_.

After punching in the _Falcon's_ orbital trajectory, Leia performed some last minute system checks and relaxed back in the pilot's chair. As she watched the planet stream along below her and the stars wax and wane above her, she shut her eyes and tried to calm herself.

Leia rose out of the pilot's chair in one fluid motion. She had taken control of the situation and now he _had_ to talk to her. Having not heard him for a long while, she supposed he had retired to the lounge or his bunk room to stew and wait for her. She unlocked the cockpit door and jumped when the door opened to the sight of him, hands above his head on either side of the door way, his legs spread out below him. He looked like a spider web blocking her retreat. His expression was near maniacal as he gritted his teeth, lowered his hands and grabbed her at the shoulders, "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Leia?"

It was right about that time when she realized that it had probably not been such a good idea to hijack his ship. Her expression changed from one of anticipation to confusion and remorse as he man-handled her down into the nav chair directly behind his and lowered himself into the pilot's seat, all the while cursing at her. Watching him double-check all the controls and flight preps she had just completed, she began to snap out of her stupor. She rose out of her seat and prepared to talk to him.

At the moment she fixed her lips to say something to him, he found the volume control of the tower com and turned it up. The angry, frantic voice of the traffic controller reverberating through the cockpit made Leia bounce right back into shock as she heard words like: "breach of protocol", "revoke your license" and "impound your ship". Han shot her a perturbed glance at that last remark.

As she tried to comprehend the absurdity of it all she finally worked herself up to say, "Han, I'm sorry."

"I know. Sit down and buckle in, _sweetheart_."

He didn't look at her and his words were short and choppy. He called her sweetheart but it was different. She sat down in Chewie's chair. At the sound of her crash webbing clicking into place, Han spun the Falcon upside down and around on a straight shot back to the hangar.

Realizing they had precious little time before they arrived back at the hangar, she turned to him and said, "Please talk to me."

He exhaled heavily and responded, "What do you want me to say, Leia? You want me to tell you that I understand it's all part of your job? That I understand that I mean more to you than you sometimes show? That I love you more than anything so I put up with it all?"

She watched his demeanor soften but his words hit her like punches to her gut. She slowly released her crash webbing and leaned over to him, placing her hand on his knee as she said, "That would be a good start."

"Well I thought the fact that I'm still here says all of that." He turned to look at her; she thought that he looked as defeated as she felt. His eyes were pleading for it all to be over.

Encouraged by his demeanor and by that fact that he hadn't pushed her hand away when she touched him, she rose from her seat and turned to sit crossways in his lap. Placing her hand against his cheek she looked in his eyes as she said, "You _do_ mean so much more to me than I sometimes show. You mean everything to me." Leaning into him she went to kiss him but he stopped her.

"I'm sorry; Leia, but I can't do this right now. I have to land the ship." Placing his hand on her lower back he nudged her off of his lap.

_You can't do this right now because you have to land the ship, or because you're still mad at me?_ Leia slowly removed herself from his lap and secured herself into the co-pilot's seat. Han began fiddling with the control systems and they completed the rest of their journey in silence.

Below their landing platform Leia could only watch the madness in disbelief. During her short hijacking trip it seemed the entire Coruscant security fleet had been alerted and had responded en force. As soon as the _Falcon_ touched down, Han shot out of his chair and headed for the exit. Leia followed him in silence as the ramp lowered. Chewie broke through the guards and began yelling at Han. He was speaking so quickly she couldn't quite catch all that he was saying¸ but the words "aft stabilizer" were being stressed repeatedly.

"I know. I know. Would ya lay off of me for one minute while I get arrested? Go shut 'er down, will ya?" Han's demeanor and tone was a mixture of anger, frustration and capitulation.

Chewie stormed past Leia and headed for the cockpit. With the angry Wookiee out of their way the guardsmen began to question Han who quickly referred them to Leia. As Leia embarrassingly explained herself, Han stood there leaning against one of the _Falcon's_ boarding ramp struts looking uninterested.

_There he goes with the indifference thing again_. Realizing he was probably in the clear with the officials, Han responded to Chewie's yelping by straightening himself up and walking into his ship. When the last of the guards had left her, Leia turned up the ramp and went to find Han.

She found Chewie and Han in the circuitry bay. Wires were everywhere, reaching out like arms through a jail cell. Tools were scattered on the floor and curse words were flying through the air. Their conversation pausing upon her entrance, Leia asked softly, "Is there anything I can do?"

Chewie responded, but again, he spoke rapidly and almost every other word was a curse word so she had to piece together what he said. She was sure it was something along the lines of, [I think you've done quite enough.]

They went back to work, virtually ignoring her presence. Finally admitting defeat she turned and walked down the boarding ramp of the _Falcon_. She stopped at the bottom of the ramp as she caught sight of him. Leaning in a doorway at the far end of the hangar, he was smiling at her in a knowing sort of way. _Of course he knows you've made a fool out of yourself_. It was Luke. _This day keeps getting better and better_…


	9. Chapter 9

Luke stood there waiting patiently for her as she approached him. When she was close enough for him to speak, he straightened himself up and said with a smirk, "I heard the _Falcon_ had been hijacked."

"Word travels fast."

"I also heard you got engaged."

"Hmph."

"Does one have to do with the other?"

"What do you think?" She shook her head and exhaled heavily, "I don't need this right now, Luke."

"Ok. I'm sorry. How about I walk you home then?" He put his arm around her and squeezed her at the shoulders. The tears came. Sizing up the situation quickly, Luke shuffled her out of the crowded hangar and got her home.

She didn't know why Luke had stopped walking until she realized that they were standing in front of her door. She palmed the door open and whispered, "Thank you," and walked into the apartment.

It took her a moment to realize that the door had cycled shut and her brother had not entered the apartment with her. Turning around and palming the door open, she found him standing where she had left him. He was smiling.

"Are you coming in?" she asked.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted company."

"You're not company." _That's not an answer_. Luke stared at her in silence until she sighed and added, "Please come in, Luke."

Unlike the drunken side effect from the night before, Luke was often able to read Leia's thoughts with such an ease that it was sometimes hard to control. Leia was aware of this and she was able to block him if she so desired. Her thoughts just then, as he stood in the doorway, were so loud and clear that he knew that she most likely meant for him to hear her or was too exhausted to block him, he thought he might be in for another interesting conversation…

"So, how are things?" Luke asked the question very casually as he entered her apartment, as if he hadn't just witnessed the "hijacking" of the _Falcon_ and had to practically carry her weeping form most of the way home.

"Things are complicated." She sighed as she answered him and walked towards the sofa. Motioning for him to join her, they sat down sideways, facing each other.

"Between you and Han?"

"Han and I aren't complicated. The world around us is."

"The Hapans?"

"For one."

"What else?"

"I don't know." _Me_.

"I think you do."

"Please don't pull your Jedi wisdom on me, OK? I already got it all from the Wookiee philosopher earlier today."

"What do you want me to tell you then, Leia?"

"Instead of everyone speaking in analogies and open-ended questions, why don't you try a novel approach and just tell me what to do?" She heard her words echo in her mind and she thought how she sounded defeated.

"I can't tell you what to do. No one can tell you what to do."

"I know." _But that would be so much easier than this_. Leia noticed a quick smirk cross her brother's face and wondered just how much of her thoughts he was able to decipher, she was too tired to block him.

"What is it you want, Leia? When everything in your world is in turmoil, it helps to focus on the one thing that you know will make you happy."

_I want Han_. That's what she wanted to say. But she didn't. Instead she said, "It's not that simple." Luke smirked again…

"It's complicated. It's not that simple. Isn't this all the same way of saying that you can't decide?"

"No. I can't believe that." She shook her head and looked away from him. His expression revealed that he knew that she knew that he was right.

Luke shuffled uncomfortably in his seat and after looking down at his hands for a moment he looked back up at his twin and said pointedly, "I love you and Han together. You compliment each other well. I often wonder why you two haven't gotten married yet." He paused, ensuring that she met his gaze before he added, "I know he asked you."

"Four years ago." She lamely replied.

"And?"

"I wasn't ready four years ago." She snapped but it didn't faze him. She knew he was familiar with her temperament and she knew that he was pushing her.

"And now?"

"And now everything is messed up because of this idiotic marriage proposal."

"The Hapans?"

"Yes, who else?"

"I thought maybe _Han_ had asked you again."

_He knew. He knows_. "If you know that, then you know it was in anger and haste."

"If you call four years haste. And a lot of things happen between the two of you in anger."

"So what are you trying to say, Luke? Are you saying I should marry Han?"

"I can't tell you that, Leia. I'm only trying to figure out your state of mind."

"That's a black hole you do not want to get lost in." she huffed.

"You think your mind is a black hole?" He asked as if he had just discovered something about her.

"Can it, Luke. You know what I mean."

"No, I don't."

"You're exhausting me. Where did you learn your interrogation techniques, on the Death Star?"

He smiled at her, "We can stop whenever you want. I thought you wanted to talk things out."

"I told you. I don't know what I want."

"I think you do. I think when you're ready it will all be perfectly clear to you. The path will open and there will be no hesitation to follow it."

"That's comforting."

"I can offer you lies and false hopes to comfort you if you want. The truth is often disconcerting, but I know you prefer it."

There was silence for a long while. Leia stared off into the distance as she felt her twin brother watching her. "Leia?" His voice was soft.

She didn't look at him, but answered, "Um-huh?"

"You've given your mind, body and soul to the New Republic. Do you really want to give them your heart?"

_It's not mine to give_. She didn't answer him _vocally_ and they sat in silence once again as she contemplated his words. Growing tired she turned to him and said, "Thank you, Luke - for everything."

"You're welcome." Realizing how late it was and that Han probably wasn't coming home tonight, he added, "Do you want me to stay here tonight?"

Luke had lived with Han and Leia before he rented his own apartment in town and their apartment still had several empty guest rooms. She reached across to him and squeezed his hand as she said, "Would you mind?"

The twins hugged each other and went off to their separate bedrooms. Leia cleaned up and climbed into bed. It was late. She was sure Han must be sleeping on the _Falcon_ tonight. Reliving the last couple of days in her mind she fell into a restless slumber.

The following morning, Leia woke before her alarm. Taking the time to grab her datapad, she reviewed her daily meeting schedule. Leia cursed at the offending object. _I forgot about that krethin' meeting!_

Back at the _Millineum Falcon_ on the previous day, while Leia had gone off with Luke, Chewie and Han worked on a much damaged star ship. The removal of the limit switch by Han earlier that day allowed an overload on the stabilizer circuits when the _Falcon_ was taken to the skies. Once again working in silence together, Han and Chewie tried to repair the damage that was done so the ship would be ready for the new part the next day.

Finally giving in to hunger and exhaustion, Han trotted up the boarding ramp and yelled to Chewie, "Let's shut it down for the night, Chewie. I'm about to drop."

[Way ahead of you, cub. Dinner's almost ready.]

"What the hell, Chewie? I've been asking you to run tests for the last half a time part."

[It didn't hurt anything. I would have heard or smelled something before things got bad.]

"Fuck it. You're lucky I'm too tired to whip your ass."

[I think we proved what happens in that scenario last night.]

"I wouldn't bring up last night if I were you, smart ass."

[Go clean up. I'll have dinner on the table when you come out.]

A clean and still exhausted Han Solo exited the fresher and got dressed. As he walked from his cabin to the lounge he thought of the day's events and chuckled. _The woman is a wild one. Nothing she does should surprise me_.

As he slid onto the banquette and eyed up the meal served up on the holochess table, he shouted at the Wookiee still in the galley, "Looks great, Chewie."

[What do you want to drink, cub?]

"Anything sans alcohol, buddy. After last night I'm off the sauce for awhile."

Chewie joined Han at the holochess table with two large mugs of womp juice. Hungry and tired the two ate like starved rancors barely coming up for air.

With swelling bellies and drooping eyelids it was Chewie who began to speak first, [You going home tonight?]

"I'm too tired to make it to my cabin, much less across town."

[Did you at least speak to the princess while you fucked up the ship?] Chewie asked calmly.

"Hey! I didn't fuck up the ship, she did!" _You never give up, do you?_

[Did you talk?]

"No, I was a little busy between being locked out of my cockpit and then taking control of my ship to discuss our future."

[You should not let this sit between you. Little one is obviously not thinking straight.]

Straining to keep womp juice from spewing out of his nose, Han swallowed and bellowed back, "What makes you think that?"

[I'm serious, cub. Other people will be influencing her during this time. Your absence is dangerous.]

"Well, I ain't draggin' my ass across Coruscant tonight, buddy. I don't care what you say; I can guarantee the High Council ain't at my apartment at this hour."

[Perhaps it is not the High Council you have to worry about being at your apartment at this hour.]

"Alright, I was going to offer to clean up, but I can see that you're in a _mood_ so I'll leave the mess for you." _Leia might not be thinking straight, but she ain't sleepin' with nobody but me, buddy. And I'd bet the Falcon on them odds!_

[And that's different than any other night, how?] Chewie howled as he watched Han walk down the corridor towards the crew's quarters.

"G'night, Chewie." Han yelled back.

Han could only blame his exhaustion as the reason he was able to fall asleep so quickly. Being light years away from Leia allowed him to sleep without her with relative ease, but the knowledge that she was sleeping alone on the same planet just a quick walk away, would usually wreak havoc with his ability to rest.

Enjoying an especially pleasant dream involving said princess, Han was jerked out of slumber by a howling Wookiee and his cabin lights flicking on full power.

[You're going to miss the meeting.]

Sitting up and opening his eyes to wrap his head around the situation, Han realized he had slept on the _Falcon_ and that Chewie was annoyingly waking him up in the same vain that he had annoyingly driven him to go to bed last night.

"For sith's sake, Chewie! I thought you had a life debt to me, not an aggravate-me-to-death debt!"

[You have a meeting with the High Council this morning, but if you wish to sleep through it…] Chewie palmed off the cabin lights, exited the room and shut the door behind him.

"Godsdamnit!" Han fell back in the bunk as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I forgot about that krethin' meeting!"


	10. Chapter 10

_OK, this is it! Thanks for sticking with me and I'd like to take a minute to thank everyone who reviewed, your feedback and encouragement were much appreciated._

_Also, a special thanks to my Beta Reader: Zyra M. This chapter, in particular, would not have been the same without your thoughtful insights and feedback. As Yoda would say: The best, you are. ;-)_

_OK, here you have it:_

It was a small meeting of the High Council for the purpose of updating everyone on current issues and missions. General Solo was invited to report on his recent Sullust-Mon Calamari mission. It was during these meetings that Han and Leia had the unique experience of sitting across the table from one another in a professional setting. Since moving from _The Rebellion_ to _The New Republic_, their paths rarely crossed in formal meetings and conferences.

Han and Leia had been two of the first people to arrive and had chosen seats about as far away from each other as possible. Leia sat near the head of the table on the left and Han chose a seat near the foot of the table on the right. As the room began to fill with the remaining members, the seats next to the volatile couple were the last to be occupied. All eyes travelled back and forth between the pair. Han and Leia balanced the arduous task of not wanting to look at each other but not wanting it to look like they were trying not look at each other. Mon Mothma was the last to enter the room and took her place at the head of the table between Leia and Borsk Fey'lya. As the Chief of State lowered herself into her chair, all conversations halted and a hush fell over the room.

The first half of the meeting was spent discussing trade route disputes and the status of pending petitions from worlds wanting to join the New Republic. Then Han gave a thorough account of his dealings on Sullust and the success of his mission to Mon Calamari. Han and Leia's eyes met only once, when Leia asked Han a question about his mission and he answered her succinctly.

The rest of the meeting continued with other New Republic business until the last topic was broached by Mon Mothma's question to Leia, "And, Councilor Organa, what is the status of the treaty between the New Republic and the Hapes Consortium?"

Leia had been looking at her datapad and upon being addressed by the Chief of State she raised her head slowly. For the briefest of moments her eyes shot to Han and then quickly rested on Mon Mothma as she replied, "The negotiations have reached a stalemate, I don't think there is anything further I can do to close the deal."

Borsk Fey'lya was the first one to speak as he scoffed, "The Queen Mother will not close the deal as long as the last item of the treaty remains _unresolved_. And you, Councilor Organa, are the only person in the New Republic than _can_ do something further on that matter." While Leia had been dealing with Isolder, Borsk had been handling The Queen Mother.

Mon Mothma broke in sternly, "Senator Fey'lya, we do not recognize the type of demands that the Hapans are stipulating. Not to further any deal or treaty, not for anything, no matter how seemingly important it may be. If the Queen Mother will not bend on that request, then I concur with Councilor Organa that we are at an impasse."

"Well I can tell you that as long as there is an _available_ member of one of the Royal Houses holding a position with the New Republic then the Hapans will insist on a union. That is just their way." This came from the Senator representing Naboo.

"Just because it is _their way_ does not mean we should entertain it. We do not recognize every tradition from every single world that joins us. We respect them and allow them to practice their own customs, but we do not always agree or participate. Why should a concession like this be made for the Hapans?" another Senator spoke up.

"_Concessions_ should be made in this case because _this_ is something that has been understood and anticipated for quite some time now. _This_ is a tradition that is recognized by _both_ members' home planets." Borsk Fey'lya glared at Leia as he spoke.

"Just what are you trying to say, Councilor Fey'lya? That I belong to the Hapans in some way? Marriages between the Royal Houses were _encouraged_ by the House of Organa, but _forced_ or _arranged_ marriages were never part of our customs." Leia's voice was firm and angry.

"Your father woul-"

Leia cut Borsk off before he could continue, "My _father_ would _never_ have sold me off to the highest bidder like you are trying to do right now. My father would have respected my wishes and would have wanted my _happiness_, first and foremost." Her voice choked only slightly as the discussion got personal.

Borsk turned to Mon Mothma and spat out, "As long as _she_ remains obstinate on this issue then the Hapans will treat the contract as breached. They have made an offer, she is _available_ to fulfill it and until that status quo changes then I guess I will have to agree that we are at an impasse."

Leia let the conversation sink into her skull, the last few days and Borsk Fey'lya's words spinning around in her head.

_As long as she is available_.

Her fight with Han. His empty apartment. Her dissipated reasons for delaying their marriage four years ago.

_Until the status quo changes_.

Her conversations with Chewie and Luke.

_My father would have wanted my happiness_.

She felt all eyes on her as she re-focused hers on the person across and down the table. He was looking at her, like everyone else. His eyes were soft and troubled. His expression was one of pity, not anger. He didn't like that she was being berated by the High Council. She could tell he was trying to booster her confidence with his look, willing his support through his gaze. She felt safe in his eyes, as if his gaze alone enveloped her like a blanket.

She saw the path before her and decided to take it.

"Borsk is right." She said absently as she turned towards Mon Mothma.

A hush fell over the room as Mon Mothma replied, "Leia? What are you talking about, you can't possibly-"

"No, he's right. As long as I'm _available _or until the status quo changes, then this will always be an issue." She wasn't just talking about the Hapans and at least one other person at that table knew that.

The room was silent and all eyes were on the Councilor from Alderaan. Baited breath and anticipation pushed through the air until everyone in the room felt pressed against the backs of their chairs, frozen in their seats.

She looked over to Han, and just seeing his face at that moment made her wonder why she had wasted so much time and energy fighting this. In reality, choosing Han should've been the easiest decision she'd ever had to make in her life. It was. Everything she ever needed was sitting right at the end of the table, and she let the tiniest of smiles cross her lips as she said, "General Solo?"

"Yes, _Councilor Organa_?" he sat up and straightened his relaxed posture, surprised that she was addressing him.

She wondered if he had any idea what she was about to ask, but she suspected that they would both remember this moment for the rest of their lives. "Will you marry me?"

The silence in the room exploded like a missile under water; you could see the effect but no one made a sound. The two sets of eyes stared at each other while all other eyes stared at them. It seemed like an eternity had passed since the words had left her mouth, shooting across to him like an arrow to its target, heads turning and watching them float across the room like a shooting star streaking across the sky.

He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time, as if any doubts, fears or anxieties he had ever harbored had just been obliterated by her question, exploding like the Death Star above them. "Yes, _Leia_." He replied with a lop-sided grin as he relaxed back into his chair, his expression changing to one of pride and delight.

She held his gaze as Borsk spat out, "This is a ridiculous show of disrespect. The Hapans will not be placated by some last minute subterfuge-"

As if just realizing that they weren't the only two people in the universe, much less in this room, Leia's eyes slowly left Han's as she straightened herself up and looked at Borsk, "This is hardly _subterfuge_, Councilor Fey'lya. General Solo and I have been in a relationship for over four years now. The entire galaxy is aware of that."

"But the timing alone will raise suspicion. Why _now_, Councilor Organa?"

She stopped at the words for a second and then replied, "Why _not _now?" She smirked and turned her eyes back to Han, repeating his words from the day before. She could feel the blush warming her cheeks. She wondered if she had ever felt more complete.

Mon Mothma spoke up trying to regain control of the meeting, "Well, Councilors Organa and Fey'lya-"

"When's the wedding?" It was Han's voice. He straightened in his chair again and leaned forward on the table. His eyes left Leia's and focused on the Chief of State.

"Excuse me, General Solo?" Mon questioned.

"When's the wedding? I'm sure the Hapans are going to ask, to make sure this isn't some half-baked scheme to wiggle out of their demands." Han looked at Leia as he finished.

She watched him, knowing what he was doing, as visions of a ten-year engagement danced above his head like little Ewoks. He was pushing her, testing her and putting her on the spot in front of everyone that was anyone whose opinions mattered to her, save Luke.

Leia laughed to herself as images of just what she was willing to do with him and to him, in this room, right now, flashed through her mind. And getting married was just one of them…

She met his eyes and then turned to Fey'lya and steely replied, "You can tell the Queen Mother that we'll be married within six months." She glanced back at him to catch his reaction, he had not expected it, she could tell. _Gotcha flyboy, what do you have to say now?_

Fey'lya's fur rippled as he scorned this entire display. It was Mon Mothma who tried once again to take control of the meeting, "Well, Councilors Organa and Fey'lya…" she paused waiting to ensure she would not be interrupted this time, "I think that you have some new _information_ to bring to the Hapans. Please keep me abreast of any developments. In the meantime, I call this meeting adjourned." As everyone began to shuffle in their seats, Mon added, "Before we depart, I think some congratulations are in order…"

Most of the High Council members took their turns with each of the famous duo, offering their congratulations. General Rieekan spoke with Han first and then waited his turn to speak to the Princess.

As the last senator bid her well wishes and left the room, Leia turned to General Rieekan, her voice almost a whisper as her emotions began to swell, "Carlist."

"Lelila." He stepped to her and pulled her into an embrace, "Congratulations, Lelila. Bail would be very, very happy for you both."

Her reaction overwhelmed her as she felt her eyes become moist, closing them and tightening her arms around the General, she said, "Thank you, Carlist. Thank you for everything." General Rieekan had been like a father to her since the loss of Alderaan and her own father. He had also been an unwavering supporter of Han, both as a person and as her companion.

When their embrace loosened, Leia looked up to find that she, Han and Rieekan were the only ones left in the room. As the general released her he spoke to both of them, "I always knew you two belonged together. I'm glad to see you are finally making it official."

"Thank you Carlist, that means a lot to me. To us." Leia replied as she left his embrace and entered into Han's.

"Yeah, me too. Now maybe I can finally collect my winnings from that betting pool on Hoth." Carlist joked.

"Speaking of that, where is Wedge?" Han chimed in as he squeezed Leia around her shoulders.

Leia shook her head and rolled her eyes, what did she expect? _Scoundrels_…

After General Rieekan left, Leia and Han found themselves alone in the room.

She turned in his arms and looked up at him, "I'm sorry."

"For proposing?" he smirked.

"For being bull-headed and insensitive." _And for waiting four years to do what I did today_.

"Well maybe I was being a little _too_ sensitive…"

"No, you had every right, Han. I didn't realize how much I was taking you for granted."

"Really, sweetheart, it's OK. We were both happy. It's hard to think about changing something that's workin' so well."

"Until it's not working anymore." She paused. Straightening herself up, she added seriously, "I want you to get rid of that apartment."

"My apartment? What made you think of that?"

"Just promise me you'll get rid of it."

"Alright, OK. Consider it _gone_." He pulled her in an embrace, her head resting on his chest. "Six months, huh?"

"Well, I need time to plan a wedding, or I would have said six _hours_."

"What's to plan? Me, you, the _Falcon_ and the nearest planet that offers quickie weddings. We could be married by nightfall." She began to pull away from him but he held her and said, "Relax, sweetheart. I'm only joking. You can have whatever kind of wedding you want."

"What about what you want?"

"Everything I want is right here."

She pulled away from him again, just enough to enable herself to look into his eyes. She smiled up at him as she got lost in that perfect mixture of molten gold and green. She inhaled a quick, short breath and separated her lips in preparation to speak to him, but he seized that opportunity to kiss her, hard and deep. Forming thoughts into words was immediately beyond her ability. Remembering where she was, who she was or why it mattered, escaped her.

Taking their cue from Han's arousing kiss, their hands began to explore each other's bodies and the ability to differentiate his body from hers, his touch from her touch, what her hands were doing from what his were doing, was impossible. His lips left hers and began to trail down her neck following their familiar path to their most frequent destination, that spot right behind her ear. In the briefest moment of clarity, Leia stilled her hands on his chest and applied the gentlest amount of pressure as she gasped, "Han."

"Leia." He responded, not as if in reply to her, but as if accepting permission to continue when he knew she wanted him to stop.

_I wonder if that door lock is trustworthy…_ "We're in the High Council chambers." She increased the pressure of her hands against his chest and bent her head down to stall his progress.

"Are you telling me you want to relocate, your highness?" His lips nudged their way up to her ear and his hot breath tickled her.

She giggled as she responded, "Yes, please." Her eyes glanced around the room for security cameras. But as soon as Han straightened up and began to relent, she added, "Oh! But we need to tell Luke and Chewie."

"Oh, no you don't." He responded by grabbing her and assaulting her neck again while she screeched and screamed his name, he said, "Chewie. And Luke. Can Wai-"

"Ahem." The sound of someone clearing his throat immediately separated the couple to a respectable distance. It was a Rogue Squadron pilot; the couple recognized him but did not know his name. "I'm sorry, but we have a de-briefing scheduled for this room."

"No problem. We were just leaving." Leia thanked the gods that Han had the ability to speak and had responded to the pilot.

"Thank you and _congratulations_." The pilot grinned at the embarrassed couple.

Han grabbed Leia's hand and led her out of the room, while they walked toward the lift Han capitulated, "Well, I guess if the krethin' Rogue Squadron knows then we should tell Chewie and Luke."

As they exited the building and walked towards the hangar, Leia comm'ed Luke through their personal signal.

"Yes, Leia." Leia swore she could hear his smile through the comm signal.

"Luke, can you meet me at the _Millineum Falcon_?" Leia's voice was breathless through a combination of excitement and having to walk quickly to keep up pace with her long-legged fiancée.

"Leia, I don't want to be involved in any hijacking sche-" This time Leia could hear him sniggering at her.

She interrupted her brother with, "Can you or not?" The lightness fading from her tone quickly being replaced by exasperation.

"Yes, alright. I'll be right over." Luke answered her, managing to sound teasing and apologetic at the same time, and ended the comm connection.

When they reached the hangar, Han grabbed Leia and pulled her behind some cargo boxes. His height allowing him to watch the boarding ramp of the _Falcon_ while he resumed where they had left off in the conference room. Finding that their new status as an affianced couple unleashed an even bolder version of his sensual princess, Han took complete advantage of the revelation. Almost embarrassed at where his hands were when he caught sight of Luke climbing aboard the _Falcon_, Han was nearly unable to convince Leia to defer their activities for just a while longer…

Han and Leia boarded the Falcon and walked hand-in-hand into the lounge area, finding the Jedi and the Wookiee waiting patiently for them.

Leia watched as both Chewie and Luke glanced down at the couple's hands and then up at their flushed excited faces and waited for one of them to speak.

"Well, you two. We wanted you to be the first to hear that Leia has finally decided to make an honest man out of me." Han grinned wildly as he squeezed Leia's hand and brought it up to his mouth in a gentle kiss as he turned to look from Luke and Chewie and back to his fiancée.

Leia blushed as her eyes left Chewie and Luke's and landed on Han's, as she watched him kiss her hand she smiled in spite of herself and screeched in indignation, "Han! Why did you get to tell them?"

He quickly stole a kiss from her, causing her blush to rage again as he said, "Because you got to do the proposin'."

"You proposed! When?" Luke was grinning as he questioned his twin sister.

[I told you she wasn't thinking straight.] This came from one very happy Wookiee.

"In front of the High Council." Han answered Luke and shot Chewie a smart look. Leia couldn't help but study the Corellian's face as he announced their news. She could not recall him ever looking so genuinely happy and content. _Of all the powers in all of the universe that I may have yet to discover, _this _is beyond comparison. If I have the power to make this man feel this way, the way I feel right now, it is truly beyond comprehension. I guess I must look the same in his eyes. I hope I do. I know I must_.

He found her looking at him and joined her gaze. Everything disappeared around her. From the galley and the circuitry bay to the Jedi and the Wookiee, there was nothing, but him, and he was looking at her. She squeezed his hand as he lifted his free hand and trailed the back of his knuckles along her jaw line. Snaking it around her neck he began to massage her with his fingers and as he moved his thumb back and forth across her jaw and over her lips, he said, "She made me the luckiest man in the galaxy today."

She thought she had entered hyperspace as her soul poured into his gaze. Green and flecks of gold streamed past in her vision as his eyes seemingly swallowed her whole. _How can he think I've done anything for him, when he has done everything for me? I'll never be able to retrace the steps of my life to pinpoint exactly what decision, what word, what act brought him to me. But I will be eternally grateful for it, 'til the end of times_.

She turned toward him slightly and using her free hand she took his hand from her neck and brought his palm up to her mouth and kissed it lightly, as she lowered it she turned her head to Luke and then landed on Chewie as she said, "I did what I should've done a long time ago." She looked back at Han and smiled at him. They stood facing each other and holding hands.

Luke glanced at Chewie and smiled as he asked, "So, when's the big day?"

Without abandoning their mutual gaze, Han and Leia answered almost simultaneously, "In six months."

Both receiving the signal in their own way, Chewie and Luke realized that they were not going to get any further information out of the couple until some of their, uh, pent up energy was released. Not wanting to bear witness to that particular _ceremony_, Chewie looked at Luke, tilted his head towards the holochess table and howled, [Unless you want to see a reprisal of the Corellian's _table dance_, I think we should leave.]

Piquing her interest and quickly awaking from her stupor Leia turned to Chewie and queried, "Table dance? What table dance?"

Han started walking backwards and gently pulling Leia not-so-subtly towards his cabin. She watched Han shoot Chewie a look as he responded, "Don't pay any attention to him, honey, he's just jealous. Um, Chewie, Luke, it's been real fun, but could you close the ramp on your way out?" He turned her around to face the Wookiee and the Jedi and pulled her back against him as they continued to disappear walking backwards together down the corridor. He began to nibble on her neck as he tightened his embrace, eliciting a stream of giggles and a heat from her flushing face that he could have sworn might actually burn him.

"Han! Luke, Chewie, I'm so sorry." She was giggling and fighting off a determined Corellian as the Wookiee and the Jedi disappeared from her view. More embarrassed than really angry, Leia spun around to Han and mocked her best upset face and tone when she said, "Han! Really, you are incorrigible!"

Han once again grinned wickedly at her and then assaulted her neck with his mouth and her body with his hands. In between nips, and licks and gropes and kisses, he countered smartly, "Not incorrigible, your highness. Insatiable, is the word you were looking for, I think."

As she heard the door to his cabin cycle open she no longer cared what word she was searching for or what the Jedi and the Wookiee were thinking of her behavior. She only cared about reprising her role as this smuggler's lover on this infamous ship. A role she was ready to relish and cherish for the rest of her life…

The Jedi and the Wookiee watched as the boarding ramp rose and quietly sealed shut. Before parting ways they exchanged a knowing glance and as they each let a small grin creep across their faces, they turned and walked away from each other, silently sharing in the knowledge that they had just witnessed the start of something fairly substantial for the future of the universe. And as they walked further and further away from that famous couple and that legendary ship, they both knew for that moment, everything was right in the galaxy.


End file.
